1. Field of the Invention
Generally, this invention is directed towards a method of treating lythic materials such as stone, agate, flint Jasper and the like. More specifically, this method heat treats lythic materials for increasing the workability and increasing the natural luster of the material for use in a plurality of esthetically appealing applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heat treatment of stores has been used for many years by prehistoric people and American Indians for increasing the workability of stones so that they could be shaped into arrowheads and other useful tools. Stone materials have been known to be affected by hot and cold temperatures for many years, for example crazing, pot-lid fracturing, and frost-pitting are well known to archaeologists. It has been assumed that prehistoric people created flaked stones by dripping cold water onto the stones when they were in a very high temperature state. Many stone materials that have already been heat-treated are readily workable such as volcanic rocks, ignimbrite and obsidian, opolites, and certain jaspers and agates. Stone materials in their native state tend to be extremely difficult to pressure flake, rough and inelastic, but if these materials are heat treated properly, the workability will dramatically increase as a result of the heat treatment. It has also been observed that heat treatment of these stones tends to produce a distinct change in color and a dramatic increase in luster depending upon the type of stone. It has been observed under electron microscopes that heat treatment of stones tend to cause recrystallization of the coarsely fibered and coarser micro-granular silicas materials, which results in reduced crystal size, Ft change in luster from dull to greasy, and an increase in the elasticity of the material. It would be well received if a method were introduced that would enable these stones to treated in such a way that would enable industry to combine these treated stones with esthetic applications.
Several approaches have been provided for the treatment of materials with heat, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,338 a process for treating textiles describes, "An enzyme bath maintenance system is provided for use in such textile treating fields as stonewashing, laundry, cleaning and dying, including the use of enzymes as the active agent, in which the enzymes are utilized within narrowly controlled ranges of pH and temperature. As a means for providing heat for controlling the temperature, a heat exchanger in which the heat source is hot water at a temperature not more than 12.degree. C. higher than that of the desired temperature is disposed within the apparatus. The heat exchanger and the apparatus as a whole are resigned to avoid pockets, which allow the enzyme to become entrapped therein. The apparatus further includes automated means for detecting, monitoring ard reporting bath parameters such as pH and temperature, with output for manual or automatic control thereof, and means for agitating the enzyme bath to maintain uniform distribution of the enzyme."
In the art taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,978, "A crystallized glass article having a surface pattern like granite, marble or other natural stones with a line pattern of desired color or colors, which is formed by fusion bonding small masses of crystallizable glass material mixed with inorganic pigment powder at a heat-treating temperature higher than the softening point. The surface pattern comprises crystallized glass areas defined by the small masses in the surface layer of the article and the colored line pattern defined by the pigment dispersed in the interfaces between adjacent ones of the small masses in the surface layer."
While some of the prior art may contain some similarities relating to the present invention, none of them teach, suggest or include all of the advantages and unique features of treating stone like materials in the unique way as the invention disclosed herein.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a method to treat stone like materials that will increase the workability and luster such that the stone materials can be used for esthetically appealing applications.